Immune to Fear |
The Anointing! By Reinhard Bonnke The Lord’s anointed ones are full of active faith! They won’t back down to the voice of fear or the appearance of impending destruction. We read in 1 Samuel 17, the story of David and Goliath. David saw Goliath and heard the blasphemies that came out of his mouth. Eliab listened with a sinking heart. Something different happened to David, though. The anointing of the Lord began to heat up within him. At that same moment, the hearts of Israel’s unanointed professionals became ice-cold with fear. Do you see the contrast? This has always been a notable distinction between the two, and it still is today… The anointing gives great boldness, making people immune to fear! The anointing makes the difference between an academic faith and a burning faith. Let me warn you—the one faith will always irritate the other. Eliab undoubtedly had reason on his side, which left him weighing up the balance of Israelite and Philistine forces. He saw no other resources. Eliab was able to make professional assessments of battle situations, and he saw that Israel had no chance of winning. This professional officer mentally put himself next to Goliath for comparison and saw him as an awesome giant. David, in contrast, was a man of active faith and mentally put Goliath next to the God of Israel and saw the Philistine as a midget. It is amazing what transpires when faith and fear are contrasted. David knew that he had the Lord on his side, and he felt a holy stirring and indignation within his soul. That was because of the anointing, which gave him resources unknown to others. His inner eyes of faith were upon the Lord. He did more than just hope and pray. God’s anointing made him hungry for victory, and he was excited with eager anticipation. The anointing was the “guarantee” of things to come. Oftentimes, people act in response to a voice of fear that comes disguised as a voice of reason. However, for the anointed believer, it is only reasonable to view every unholy circumstance of opposition as insignificant, compared to our great and mighty God! Rather than allowing the challenging circumstances in your life and in the world around you to paralyze and intimidate you, allow them to stoke the fire in your heart. Allow them to embolden you and stir the anointing on your life. Perhaps in this season, as never before, you will discover the great resources God has invested into your life and the anointing He has given you. We will talk more about that tomorrow… Source: (adapted from Evangelism by Fire pg. 163-164) |
Pick Up Your Weapons! By Reinhard Bonnke Where are our weapons? Paul wrote, “Stir up the gift of God which is in you” (2 Tim. 1:6). He instructed, “Stir up.” This word has to do with fire—the stirring up of a campfire to get the embers blazing. It means, “to kindle,” “to bring up to full flame.” Do not cool off! Stir up that fire! Use the fan on the dying embers. The word of God and the gifts of the Spirit are our weapons against the attack of the enemy. These gifts are described in 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.” These gifts of the Spirit are our weapons, and the devil has done his best to stop Christians from using them. As valuable as natural gifts are, they can never take the place of Holy Spirit endued gifts, and more importantly, they must never be confused with them. For example, many churchmen and medical doctors have opposed divine healing. They have magnified the stories of those who are “disappointed” and who are not immediately healed. They have conveniently forgotten that doctors disappoint millions every day. Nearly everyone in the graveyard had been to a doctor first, yet nobody would be so foolish as to demand the closing of all hospitals! Others object to divine healing simply because some are not healed, and so they do not minister to the sick at all. This leaves everybody unhealed! Where is compassion, or obedience to the Scriptures? Some Christians have let their bow and arrows (their gifts, their spiritual weapons) gather dust in a corner because of critics. They lower their God-given weapons and accept defeat because of the fear of man. Others have been hurt, perhaps by remarks from fellow believers, and thus have dropped their gifts. They have “lost” them, though God never reclaims them, for “the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Rom. 11:29). The Lord has never sent a saint into battle without a weapon. That is precisely why, before His ascension to heaven, Jesus told the apostles to remain in Jerusalem until the coming of the Holy Spirit. He knew that they would need to be endued with the power of the Holy Spirit and His gifts. The power of the Holy Spirit and the spiritual gifts must be recovered to each and every believer. Hear the word of the Lord: Go back to the day and to the place where you left those spiritual gifts, and ask the Lord to forgive you. Do not be afraid! Do not despair; the gifts are still there, albeit dormant. Dry your tears of despair and sorrow, and take up your weapons again! Source: (Evangelism by Fire. pg. 179-181) “Tell Us What You Think!” We hope this series is a blessing to you. We would love to hear any testimonies you might have. Simply reply to this email and let us know. Did someone forward you this message? SIGN UP HERE to receive the next message directly. This Bible Study has been taken from Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke’s book, “Evangelism by Fire”. In this book he lays out the principles necessary for effective evangelism, showing how God operates through anyone who is willing to follow His plan. _______________
See also: Reinhard Bonnke’s beginnings in Africa See also: “This Disco is a Church” See also: Reinhard Bonnke’s final crusade in Africa See also: Reinhard Bonnke – 1940-2019 – a Tribute – 2019
BLOGS INDEX 1: REVIVALS (BRIEFER THAN REVIVALS INDEX)BLOGS INDEX 2: MISSION (INTERNATIONAL STORIES)BLOGS INDEX 3: MIRACLES (SUPERNATURAL EVENTS)BLOGS INDEX 4: DEVOTIONAL (INCLUDING TESTIMONIES)BLOGS INDEX 5: CHURCH (CHRISTIANITY IN ACTION)BLOGS INDEX 6: CHAPTERS (BLOGS FROM BOOKS)BLOGS INDEX 7: IMAGES (PHOTOS AND ALBUMS)BACK TO MAIN PAGE
FREE SUBSCRIPTION: for new Blogs & free offers Free PDF Books on the Main Page Share any Blog to inform and bless others
Share good news – Share this page freely See also: Reinhard Bonnke’s beginnings in Africa
|